Disclaimer: The characters from Charmed belong to the Spelling productions, and I am in no way affiliated with the show or its owners.
Chapter 1
Heaven can't wait
Cole was soundly asleep, but woke up immediately at the light touch of her fingers on his shoulder. He turned to her, alerted. For the last few days, they had been ready for the big moment. They were expecting the baby to arrive any time now. He looked at her with curiosity, a little anxious as well. He felt the pressure of this waiting as much as she did. However, she just shook her head without a word and he knew before she said anything that it was a false alarm.
"Is there something wrong," he still asked.
Phoebe:
"No, just nervous I guess. I couldn't sleep…"
Cole:
"The baby?"
Phoebe:
"No, I think it's just…" She hesitated, as if afraid of telling him.
Cole:
"What?" He asked again, lifting her chin, so that she would look at him directly.
Phoebe:
"It's just, you know moving here, and my sisters not being there…"
Cole grimaced a little, as she feared.
"Do you regret," he questioned, almost afraid of her answer.
Phoebe:
"NO!" She exclaimed too loud. "I had just got used to have my sisters close by at all time… You know what I mean?"
Cole sighed:
"I suppose."
Phoebe:
"I know that you are disappointed…"
Cole:
"No, it's not that. I just cannot feel the way that you do about this. I have to admit that living with your whole family was rather difficult. But if you think…"
Phoebe interrupted him by putting her fingers lightly on his lips:
"No, I do want to be here with you, I just need some time to adjust. You know that my sisters and I have been living together for four years. It will take me some time to get used to not be with them."
Cole took her hand, holding it against his chest.
"Are you sure?"
Phoebe smiled:
"Yes I am, my family is here, with you…"
She snuggled to him and he held her tight in his strong arms, which was all she had needed, she knew this now.
They had only been living in the new house for a few days, and she was still getting used to be separated, albeit very little, from her sisters. However, knowing that he was with her, made it all trivial at the moment. A feeling of peace washed over her and she finally found sleep in his arms, as he held her.
Leo woke up with a start; the Elders were calling again… He looked in Piper's direction but she was still sleeping. He wondered if he should wake her up, but decided that she would understand. It had happened often, and even though, she was not very happy about it, she had accepted his rather unpredictable schedule. He kissed her forehead tenderly and she moaned a little. Then he simply orbed out. Piper woke up to see the last of the orbs vanishing and she sighed heavily.
"Again," she said aloud, with an obvious irritation in her voice. However, she quickly chastised herself, knowing that he was doing this for the greater good, and that she had no right to complain. He was the sweetest of men. She knew how lucky she was that they had found each other. She never wanted to do anything that would endanger their marriage. She caressed her stomach, lovingly trying to touch the product of their love. At that moment, all frustration was forgotten. They truly were a family now, and that was all she really needed to be sure of. She lied back down and rested her head on his pillow, still warm from his presence. A little smile floated on her lips as she fell back to sleep; she was confidant that he would be back soon, as he always was…
That morning, the house was still quiet when Prue woke up in Paul's arms. He had been gone for a few weeks and surprised her the night before. She smiled tenderly at him, as he was waking up also. He had missed her so much, but now, it was all behind him. It felt so right to be here, with her.
Prue:
"Good morning!" She told him in a sweet voice. She bent toward him and kissed him lightly, but before she could pull back, he hugged her tightly and their kiss rapidly became passionate.
However, he had to go early that morning and he reluctantly left her embrace, still smiling.
"Can't stay," he just said. She showed her disappointment.
Moreover, rather than letting him go, she caught him by the shoulders, holding him down playfully.
Paul, half serious:
"Come on, I got to work…"
Prue:
"I'm sure that it can wait a little longer."
Paul hesitated…
She saw that he was still undecided and smiled disarmingly. He knew then that she had won…
Piper woke up to find her husband still absent. She wasn't too worried though, as he often had to go for long periods of time. It still bugged her how little she knew of his work, but she had resigned herself. He insisted often enough that this was the one rule he could never break. She sighed and headed for the shower…
Leo had had a long talk with the Elders, who were more than a little worried by the new development in the Jeremy problem. Ever since they had given him a second chance, he had seemed to return to his old self. But deep down, they had always known that he had never completely forgotten about the fallen witch. Still, he was a caring whitelighter, and they had believed that he would never turn his back on them again. They had been wrong…
Leo and Cole's father were delegated to investigate what had transpired at the witch's apartment. In there, they found a sad spectacle. Jennifer, the witch Jeremy had been charged to guide and protect, was lying in a pool of her own blood. They knew that she had been stabbed, and it didn't take much imagination on their part to conclude that an evil agent was responsible for her death. There was nothing that they could do for her anymore, but it still left the unanswered question about Jeremy. Where was he while this was taking place? He had not reported back about it and no one had heard from him since. Repeated attempts by the Elders to summon him had failed. Coleridge and Leo assumed that the Elders' worst fear had come true.
Coleridge still said with a hint of hope:
"Maybe he got hurt? We should not just jump to conclusions about this."
Leo:
"I wish that it were true. But we both know that he never forgot her…"
Coleridge frowned sadly at the thought.
Leo:
"At least, he won't cause a rift… The Elders were wise to give him only limited access and powers…"
Coleridge:
"Do you think that it might have been the reason why?"
Leo:
"No, I think that his love for her never died… You know as well as I do that deep feelings like these cannot be erased…"
Coleridge thought of his son at this moment:
"But usually, love is a good thing…"
Leo:
"It can also drive a person mad…"
They both stood silent a moment longer, looking sadly upon the inert body of the witch, then they orbed out. The Elders would want to know what they had found out…
Phoebe was awakened by a cramp in her arms. The tingling sensation was unpleasant but no more than most of her malaise lately. She repositioned herself, loath to get up just yet. She listened to his slow breathing, just happy to be in his arms, but nature called, and she sighed, exasperated. She just thought, "Oh when are you going to show up little one. I'm ready for you…"
She tried to pull away from him without waking him up but to no avail. As soon as she started moving, he awoke with a start.
"Are you ok?"
Phoebe uttered a little laugh:
"Aren't you tired of asking me that?"
Cole smiled:
"I'm this close to a nervous breakdown," he joked.
Phoebe, as she got up:
"Well, better not to tell anyone that we may have found your Achilles' heel."
Cole:
"Not much of a secret there," he answered lightly, "everyone knows that you are that…"
Phoebe:
"And?"
Cole:
"I wouldn't have it any other way…"
She turned toward the washroom with a little smile lingering on her lips…
Jeremy had indeed been put to the test, and failed miserably… He knew that what he was doing was wrong, but somehow, that couldn't keep him away… He had used the last of his whitelighter's powers to get into this place. It was a forbidding cave, and it gave him a chill to think that he was voluntarily entering the underworld, but he would have walked through fire to be with her. Anne, the love of his life and his afterlife… The more he had tried to forget about her, the more it became obvious to him that it was impossible. So after a while, he started thinking of how he could possibly be with her, and the only solution was this. There was no one in sight and he cautiously started looking for her, hopeful that he would find her before they found him…
Leo and Coleridge were now facing the Elders, a group of 3 people with indefinite features under the white hoods. They glowed with a bright light. However, at this point, they were very upset with Leo…
The middle one:
"How could you even think of doing something like this?"
Leo:
"He is a good man, only misguided…"
The same Elder:
"You cannot seriously want to go down there and bring him back, now can you?"
Leo:
"I really think that he is worth the risk, as are all of our friends…"
Leo had said this with a hint of reproach that didn't escape another of the Elders:
"Are you trying to tell us that we are unfair?" He asked severely.
Leo:
"I do not want you to believe that I mistrust your judgement… I simply want you to give me a chance to save him. As I am sure that he would if the situation were reverse."
The middle one:
"He chose this path on his own… I do not think that you can do anything more."
Leo:
"I disagree."
The last one:
"Leo, we forbid you from doing this."
Leo turned toward him, angry:
"I won't let him destroy himself…"
The middle one:
"You won't have a choice, we have been very tolerant of your excesses until now, but this is non-negotiable."
Leo understood that no amount of arguing would change their mind, and decided to keep quiet.
Instead, he bowed lightly to them and started out of the chamber, followed by a puzzled Coleridge:
"You're giving up already?"
Leo stayed quiet until they were well away from the Elders' chamber, then he turned to his companion with a resolute expression:
"I'm not going to give up on Jeremy."
Coleridge:
"But the Elders?"
Leo:
"It wouldn't be the first time that they are wrong about something… And in this case, I think that they are…"
Coleridge, making himself the devil's advocate:
"But what if they are right? Don't you think that is a big risk for someone who has chosen the wrong path of his own will?"
Leo:
"I would have thought that you, of all people, would understand…"
Coleridge:
"Don't get me wrong, I do. However, I also think that I should be the one going, if one of us has to go…"
Leo:
"No, Jeremy was my friend and my responsibility. I am the one who convinced the Elders to give him a second chance. I have to try and save him, even from himself. Besides, if they found you down there, it would be worse… They would use you against Cole and Phoebe. Me, they do not know about…"
Coleridge:
"What about your wife and your baby on the way?"
Leo:
"It's only a small risk. I will be back, don't worry."
Cole's father sighed but didn't protest.
"At least, let me wait for you. Then if you don't return, I will go for help…"
Leo:
"From who? The Elders will not help me after I defied them…"
Coleridge:
"I have an idea, but I hope that it won't be necessary…"
Leo looked at Coleridge askance, but this one didn't explain himself any further, and Leo was too worried about his friend to try and figure out what he had meant."
The two orbed down without saying another word. They both knew where they were going…
Phoebe and Cole are preparing to go out but Phoebe hesitated:
"You know that we do not have to go…"
Cole smiles warmly:
"Nonsense, I never meant that I do not enjoy seeing your sisters, just that I prefer not to live with them… Besides, they invited us, they are just as anxious as we are about the baby and they want to keep a close eye on you. I cannot blame them for that."
Phoebe:
"If you're sure," she asks with still a lingering doubt.
Cole:
"Yes," he answered decisively and took her arm, directing her to the door to prove it.
They were almost out of the house when the chime of a whitelighter orbing behind them, stopped them. Phoebe turned toward the newcomer, fully expecting to find Leo and was stunned to see Cole's father instead.
This one smiled warily to his daughter in law:
"Hello, nice to see you again."
Phoebe finally shook herself out of the surprise and went to him with a smile:
"Welcome, I'm so happy that you could visit."
Cole meanwhile was still shocked. He didn't expect to see his father again. They (the Elders) had made it clear that he still was to stay away, but he found himself happy to see him again and decided against questioning his presence, at least for the moment.
Cole:
"I'm glad that you were allowed to visit…"
Coleridge couldn't help a little pang of guilt at his own white lie, but kept his feelings inside, as he was smiling warmly to his son.
"I came to see you actually, but I also have something for the mother to be…"
Phoebe was again very surprised but also excited. She loved receiving unexpected gifts. Still, she wondered what a whitelighter could be giving her, and remembered the lamp that Leo's friends had given the newlyweds, which had upset Piper so. However, the whitelighter offered something that she really didn't expect.
He pulled out the hand that he had kept behind his back and they could see a wooden box resting in his palm. He offered it to Phoebe, who took it cautiously, aware that it looked really ancient.
Cole couldn't help also being curious about the box, and came closer to get a better look. Phoebe slowly lifted the lid and found a golden rattle engraved with the Turner's name. The object was very well preserved and of exquisite taste, hardly the kind that could be considered a toy, even though, it was its purpose.
Phoebe:
"Oh, that is so beautiful, is it an heirloom?"
Coleridge smiled indulgently:
"Yes actually, it is. One that I kept hidden for all those years, always hoping against hope that it would be passed on…"
He turned to his son:
"It was yours…"
Cole looked from his father to the toy, astonished.
"Really?"
Coleridge:
"Yes, that is why I kept it… Of course, as you know, a whitelighter doesn't need many possessions, if any. But this one was significant for me. I found it after I died and was revived as I am now."
A shadow passed over his expression:
"At the time, I was still hoping to find you there, but…"
Cole could feel his father's regrets as they mirrored his own, but there was little that they could do about this.
Nothing could ever changed what happened.
Coleridge put on a happy face again for them:
"Anyway, I'm just glad that it will be passed on to your own child, which by the way seems to take his time to show up…"
Phoebe:
"Indeed, I think that he is too comfortable where he is, and won't come out. I will have to think up a way to change this…" She said with a little laugh.
"Thank you," she then added, still looking at the present. "I will take good care of this…"
Coleridge:
"I have no doubts. And may I ad that my son couldn't have chosen better. I'm so happy for both of you."
Cole and Phoebe looked at each other and it was obvious that they thought the same about each other…
Coleridge watched them with joy in his heart for a moment, but he couldn't just forget about the real reason that had brought him there…
"Cole, may I speak with you in private for a moment?"
Cole gave him a puzzled look, but acquiesced and turned to Phoebe:
"Do you mind going to your sister's without me, I'll join you there as soon as I can?"
Phoebe looked at both of them, unsure for a moment, but then she decided that Cole's father might just want to talk to him about fatherhood and she smiled in agreement.
Cole kissed her goodbye, promising that he wouldn't be long, then Phoebe was on her way, leaving the two men staring at each other in an awkward silence that stretched for a long moment.
Coleridge finally broke it:
"I wish that I didn't have to ask you what I am about to, but I have no one else to turn to."
Cole:
"What do you mean?"
Coleridge took a deep breath and started:
"Well it concerns your brother in law and one of his friends, who are in a bad situation right now… One that I'm afraid, only you can help them out of…"
Cole frowned, trying to figure out what his father might be talking about:
"What about Leo," he asks, surprising himself with the concern that he felt.
Coleridge:
"Leo did something rash and now, I'm afraid that it has had serious consequences…"
Cole's concern deepened.
The source turned to the new arrivals with a curious stare.
"Well, well, well," he uttered finally, "what do we have here?"
His comment referred to a man, obviously badly beaten, drawn in by two guards. The man lifted his face toward the resounding voice. Leo tried to look directly at the source with defiance, but the pain he felt made his expression more of a twisted grin than a real challenging one.
The Source:
"Not much to look at are you? Still, you have to be very stupid or very brave to try and come in my realm. Don't you know that your powers are useless here? If I wished it, you could die on the spot…"
Leo replied in a low and scratchy voice that he barely recognized as his own:
"There are some who thinks that dying is a small price to pay to help a friend. Where is Jeremy," he added with a little more strength to his voice.
The Source chuckled:
"You're a feisty one, any other would be broken by now."
Leo, louder:
"Where is Jeremy?"
The Source, changing attitude again:
"Do not be so insolent. Your friend has chosen to come to us, although his idea was not really to stick around. But he has changed his mind since… And so will you…"
Leo's expression that had still been very combative until then, slowly changed, as he considered what the Source might have meant by this and fear, true fear started building inside him…
The Source saw this and smiled cruelly at the whitelighter…
Phoebe was almost at the manor, but she looked back at their new house, curious. Even if she thought that she knew what Cole's father wanted to talk about, it still seemed weird that he wouldn't want her there for this. However, whatever it was, she believed that they didn't have enough time together as it was, and it could be the occasion for both men to clear the air… She was hopeful as well that this visit was a sign that the Elders would allow Coleridge to visit more often from now on. Cole didn't talk about it, but she knew that he wanted to know more about his father. She shrugged her doubts away at this point and moved on toward the manor, the gift in hands.
Piper opened the door as soon as she got close to it, obviously they had been waiting for her and as Cole had thought, they probably were anxious to know if anything had changed.
Piper:
"Hey sis, are you ok?"
Phoebe smiled teasingly:
"If you mean by that, am I having this baby yet? Nope…"
Piper:
"Oh ok, I admit that I can't wait for that, but I still care about your wellbeing."
Phoebe:
"I know. So will you let me in?" She added with a little laugh, when her sister was still blocking the door.
Piper laughed nervously, moving away from the doorway.
Prue came to them as well, obviously with the same question on her lips but a look at Piper told her that the answer was no. However, she noticed the box in Phoebe's hand:
"Hey what's that? It looks ancient, and I know what I'm talking about even if it's been a while…"
Phoebe:
"Well I brought it to show it to you, one, because indeed it is an antic and I knew that it would interest you.
Two, because it's a gift from Cole's father…"
Her sisters were just as surprised as she had been by this.
Prue:
"Where did he find it?" She asked while taking the box from Phoebe and as she opened it, admired the rattle.
Phoebe:
"Apparently, it used to belong to Cole… Before he was taken away from his father…"
Piper:
"Well, that is really interesting. Where is Cole by the way?"
Phoebe:
"He stayed behind to talk to his father, he will be along soon… Where is Leo?"
Piper grimaced:
"As usual, I don't know. The Elders must have called him last night and he didn't come back yet."
Phoebe took her arm and squeezed it sympathetically. She knew how her sister felt when he was away like this.
It reminded her too much of all those times when she had no idea of where Cole was… But that was all in the past.
Now, he was applying himself enthusiastically at the role of father to be. He had insisted not only to prepare the room early but also the backward. Phoebe was convinced that his eagerness came in part from his desire to live his own childhood through his child, as he himself didn't have much of one. When she saw him so happy about the toys and decorating, she smiled indulgently. That always made him squirm but he soon would laugh at himself as well. It didn't keep him from doing it though.
The thought brought a little smile to her lips and Prue questioned:
"What?"
Phoebe:
"Oh nothing, just that I am happy, that's all."
Prue smiled as well:
"That's great sis."
Piper:
"So, should we wait for your husband?"
Phoebe:
"No I'm famished, he will understand," she answered with a little laugh. Hearing her sister calling him her husband had made her heart jump. Even after a month, she still had not gotten used to this. Things had been so wonderful, even though they could not really go on their honeymoon; it had felt like it when they had moved in their new house.
However, she had all intentions to take care of this oversight as soon as the baby was old enough. "After all," she added to herself, "we have all the time in the world from now on…"
"Let's eat," she added eagerly. "It smells great."
They moved on to the dining room.
Cole:
"You're telling me that Leo went back to the underworld to save a friend of his?"
Coleridge:
"Yes that is what I'm saying. And you should understand the reason when I tell you that this friend of ours went down there to find the woman that he loves…"
Cole frowned:
"No matter, if he chose to go there, what did Leo expect to be able to do about it?"
Coleridge:
"He wanted to try one more time to convince him to give up on her, before it is too late…"
Cole:
"Too late?"
Coleridge:
"Leo and I think that he is willing to take the leap to evil, if he can't get her out of there. Moreover, it is unlikely that she would… So, we were both convinced that unless one of us tried to save him, he would become evil to stay with her…"
Cole is now alarmed:
"Didn't Leo say that if a whitelighter turned to evil, it could be catastrophic?"
Coleridge:
"Actually, the Elders were very suspicious of Jeremy and they took action to prevent any unpleasant result in this eventuality. What's more, he probably wasn't so far gone that he went there with his powers intact anyway. He probably cut his wings before entering the underworld or soon after to prevent anything bad from happening because of him."
Cole:
"He can do that?"
Coleridge:
"We all can. Of course, it's a big decision. Not one to be taken lightly. Nevertheless, in some cases, it has been known to happen."
Cole:
"What about Leo?"
Coleridge:
"He went down there a few hours ago, and we had agreed that he would only stay at most, two hours, but he didn't return yet, and I'm sure that something must have happened to him as well."
Cole:
"Then what am I supposed to do about it? You know that I'm not welcome there anymore."
Coleridge:
"But you know ways to go there without being detected, don't you?"
Cole sighed:
"I guess so…"
Coleridge:
"Then will you come with me?"
Cole looked at him in surprise:
"You do not want to go there, do you?"
Coleridge:
"I didn't come here to send you alone into danger."
Cole:
"If I accept, I'll have a better chance to succeed on my own. Besides, I'd never let you risk your life in there. And you must know that you are not safe when entering the underworld…"
Coleridge replied:
"Neither are you…"
Cole, decisively:
"One of us is enough. I will go and bring Leo back… And his friend, if it's possible," he added reluctantly.
"However, I'm not comfortable keeping this from Phoebe. I promised her that I would not keep any more secrets from her."
Coleridge:
"I would agree with you if it were any other circumstance, but in this case, if the Elders were to learn what Leo did, it could make things worse. It's better that they heard of it after the fact… Anything you tell one of the charmed ones might come to their attention."
Cole frowned, the conflict apparent in his expression. He understood his father's point of view, but he also knew that Phoebe would be upset that he hid this from her. And at the moment, she really didn't need anything upsetting. Still, he decided to abide by his father's wishes with the condition that he would go see her first.
"Do you want to come along?"
Coleridge:
"I'd like that, but I think that it is better if I stayed away…"
Cole was already on his way when his father called him back:
"Cole, son, I wanted to tell you that I truly meant it about wanting to find you when I came back. And the gift that I gave you wasn't just a pretext. I really wanted your child to have it…"
Cole turned back to his father and smiled warily without a word before going out of the house…
When he entered the dining room at the manor, he found that the girls had started breakfast without him. But it was just as well as he told Phoebe. He had had to think fast of a good reason for his absence and even though, he felt remorse at lying to her, he tried to do it as convincingly as he knew he could:
"That is good that you started without me, since I won't be able to stay anyway," he said.
Phoebe:
"What?" She asked with some alarm in her voice.
"Where are you going?"
Cole:
"My father wants me to go to a special place with him, and even if it's not the best time, there might not be many occasions to do this any time soon…"
Phoebe:
"But where is that?" She insisted, knowing that Cole was avoiding answering her direct question.
Cole:
"I can't really tell you…" He replied with a grimace, as he was aware that it would make her even more curious. But it couldn't be avoided entirely.
Phoebe:
"I do not like this…"
Cole smiled reassuringly:
"I will be back in a few hours, I promise. In the meantime, I think that you should stay here…"
Phoebe:
"You're going now?"
Cole:
"I have to," he answered going to her and kissing her forehead tenderly.
Then, before she could question him again, he got out of the room quickly. As soon as he was out of her sight, he shimmered back to his father's side. Without a word, both men magically went on their way.
Back in the dining room, the sisters were still looking in the direction Cole had left in puzzlement.
Piper:
"What just happened?"
Phoebe:
"I wish I knew! What could possibly be so special about wherever they are going that he can't even tell me…"
Prue:
"It does sound suspicious, but I don't think that Cole would do anything that you wouldn't want him to." She said reassuringly, with a little smile to her anxious sister.
Phoebe, still staring at the doorway, answered distractedly:
"I suppose not…"
Cole and his father were now standing in a field, and Cole turned to Coleridge at this moment:
"Ok you'll wait for us here, it should not take too long."
He was about to shimmer when his father put his hand on his arm:
"Be careful, your child needs his father…"
Cole smiled a little, then shimmered without answering.
Coleridge's expression turned somber right then…
Cole shimmered in a dark and isolated chamber. He shivered in spite of himself at the thought of being back there. He had hoped never to have to see this place again, but Leo needed his help and he intended to give it to him.
Phoebe was resting in the living room while her sisters were taking care of the dishes. She had wanted to help, but Prue and Piper had pushed her out of the kitchen, instead offering that she should rest a while.
Phoebe had to admit that she wasn't as much in shape as she used to be and found herself grateful for the respite. She also couldn't help worrying about Cole. So much so that she almost ignored the pain in her lower back. It had only lasted a few seconds and afterward, she just dismissed it as one more false alarm… Now wasn't the time, she thought stubbornly…
Cole moved around the caves cautiously, avoiding any contact with the inhabitants of the place. After an hour of searching, he finally caught sight of Leo, but was surprised that this one didn't make any effort to dissimulate himself. As a matter of fact, he was standing near a crowded area, even though no one seemed to notice him. Cole came closer to him at an angle that he knew would hide him from the others. Then he called softly to Leo, who, at first, apparently didn't hear him. Cole called again, and this time got a response as Leo turned to look at him directly.
He didn't move toward him though, and that made Cole wonder about him… Meanwhile a shadowy figure was coming behind him silently. Leo could have warned him, but he never even looked in the newcomer's direction, keeping his eyes fixated on Cole, without flinching. Cole finally felt that things were very wrong and was about to turn around, alerted somehow, when the figure came out of the shadow and struck him hard in the back of the head. Jeremy stood there as Cole fell to the floor of the cave, unconscious. Him and Leo looked down at the demon with chilling smiles…
End of chapter one.